


Not a problem (read: a problem)

by Aloe_kun



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Bad Jokes, Blood and Injury, Caliburn being Caliburn, Canon-Typical Violence, Choking, Demons, Gen, Guns, Injury, Nosebleed, Panic, Self indulgent fuckery, Self-Hatred, Strangulation, Tears, Tentacle Monsters, Unconsciousness, but not the sexy kind, but only for a moment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-08 22:19:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16437887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aloe_kun/pseuds/Aloe_kun
Summary: Even still recovering from an injury, a simple find and kill mission would pose absolutely no problem for Japan's Paladin.Or so he thought.





	Not a problem (read: a problem)

It was supposed to be an easy mission for him while he recovered. He's accepted it believing that. A simple find the demon, figure out what it is, then exterminate it. Being Paladin, he didn't think it would be any problem at all, especially not with his right hand man by his side for support and his trusty Caliburn at his hip.  
  
But now, as rough tendrils wrapped around his throat with Caliburn tossed into the mud entirely out of reach and Lewin nowhere to be seen, he realised he couldn't be more wrong.  
  
Were was that damned man? The entire reason Lewin had come with him was to supplement his own currently impaired strength with his summons, something that had been insisted upon when he received the mission as a safeguard, but looking around he couldn't see him anywhere. He probably lagged behind to overanalyse some meaningless clue, or to observe a smaller demon. Why was he never around when he needed him most?  
  
The tendrils suddenly drew tight around his throat, and he choked, eyes wide and hands flying up to try to pull at them. Not only was his strength waned from the absurdly long trek it took to get to the location, but it seemed that the creatures grip was absolutely unshakeable. No matter how much he thrashed, clawed at them, their hold was steady, and growing tighter still.  
  
He could hardly breathe, and what little breaths he was able to take were laboured and short. His resistance had done him no good. Distantly, he could hear Caliburn's panicked, shrill cries from in the dirt, trying to alert Lewin to what was happening. She was too far away to even consider an attempt at reaching her. Though appreciated, her cries seemed a fruitless effort, though. Who knew how far behind Lewin was?  
  
He struggled for breath as minutes dragged by, still holding tight to the bind on his neck as if it would help at all. His chest hurt, ached, his vision beginning to blur slightly as he wheezed through the near painfully tight hold on his throat, teeth gritted. His feet were just barely touching the ground.  
  
At least Caliburn's panic had (surprisingly) brought something along after all that yelling; far off in the trees behind them, Lewin must have finally heard her crying out for help and ceased his likely pointless investigation. It was distant, too far to be of immediate help, but he heard him shout a reply all the same.  
  
"Angel? Hang on, I'm on my way!"  
  
It seemed that the creature understood English. The demon must have heard it too, and known help arriving meant it's time was limited. Because that was then that it suddenly hoisted Angel completely off the ground.  
  
He choked harshly as he was jolted off his feet, his breathing cut off completely, and had his thoughts been clearer he would count himself lucky that the movement didn't simply break his neck-  
  
Oh god, he couldn't breathe.  
  
Try as he might, it was impossible. He kicked out uselessly, hands again clawing at the long appendage choking him but still having no effect.  
  
Was he going to die? It felt like it. His chest hurt, it hurt so much, his vision swimming with desperate tears. If it was possible at that moment, he thought he'd throw up. The rough surface of his assailant dug into his neck painfully and scraped the skin on his fingers whenever he tried to tug at it. He was getting dizzy, everything was growing faded and dark by the edges, there was an unbearable growing pressure in his head. He felt something wet low on his face, and he could taste blood- was that his own? It felt like his nose was bleeding, blood trailing into his mouth whenever his lips parted for a breath he couldn't take.  
  
No, no, he couldn't die like this, he was the Paladin for God's sake-  
  
He kicked out again, as hard as he could, something in him hoping it would do something, anything. It turned out it was useless and just wasted energy. He felt tired, weak, vision so blurry with tears and the lack of vital elements he could hardly make anything out. His hands dropped uselessly to his sides, numb and shaky.  
  
"Angel!"  
  
Gunshots rang out loud, too loud, seemingly only just missing him and lodging into the tendrils incapacitating him. The demon shrieked deafeningly and dropped him and he hit the ground with a heavy thud, and took a gasping, sudden breath in-  
  
Shit, shit, that _hurt!_ His throat and lungs burned and ached, even with air now back in his lungs. His grazed fingers dug into the soft ground, clenched tight in pain. Blood from his nose dripped onto the ground, but he could hardly see, his vision rapidly going dark. Having been deprived of oxygen and blood for what felt like so long, the sudden rush was too much to take. Everything went pitch black, and he slumped to the ground dully and the ground seemed to rush up to meet him, gunshots, summoning mantras and Caliburn's panicked words fading into obscurity.                        

                                

When he awoke, the pristine white around him was near blinding. He could hear a steady beeping from next to him, and he squinted at the all too bright lights, slowly accustoming himself to them before gradually and cautiously sitting up, rubbing the bridge of his nose, but something about the movement felt off. His head hurt so much...  
  
"Lewin, Lewin!" A shrill voice sounded from his bedside and made him wince. "He's awake! Arthur-kun's awake!"  
  
"Caliburn, please, my head hurts..." Angel mumbled. His throat felt rough, and he stifled a cough.  
  
"Sorry, Arthur-kun..."  
  
He looked over to see Lewin leaning on the side of his bed, looking up at him sleepily, with Caliburn leant on a chair next to him. It seemed like the Tamer had dozed off, or at least been close to it. In any case, he soon straightened up, cracking his back and stifling a yawn.  
  
"You were out for a while there, Angel. Feeling alright?"  
  
"Certainly-" God, his throat was sore. He coughed, flinching at the pain it caused. "Certainly better than I was."  
  
"Well, that's good at least." Lewin shrugged. "Don't go talking too loud, I bet your throat's pretty rough right about now."  
  
Arthur nodded, a hand reaching up to rub at his neck slightly, but feeling only fabric. Looking down he saw his hands were bandaged, and it seemed like his neck was too from the feeling on his skin. He raised an eyebrow but didn't question it further. The rough texture of his assailant's skin must have done more damage than he'd felt at the time.  
  
"I'm really glad you're ok, Arthur-kun!" Caliburn chimed in as loud as she could without hurting his head. "I wish I could have helped more..."  
  
"You did plenty." Arthur frowned, disapproving of such deprecation and shaking his head slightly. "Had you not been calling for Lewin, I don't think he would have turned up in time."  
  
"I probably wouldn't have, to be fair." Lewin admitted, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly as Caliburn squeaked in delight at the praise. "I was set on following the complete wrong path until I heard her."  
  
Arthur smiled at the sword as it talked excitedly, mostly to itself, about how nice he was. He looked back over to Lewin, his smile dropping to a flat, ashamed look.  
  
"I hate to admit it, but I was completely helpless during that." He grimaced. "I would be dead if not for you and Caliburn."  
  
"To be fair, you shouldn't have been made to go on that mission anyway." Lewin mused, leaning forward slightly. "They should have waited until you recovered fully before sending you out."  
  
"Either way, it's no less embarrassing. I was completely overpowered."  
  
"Eh, whatever. I wouldn't count it as your fault, personally."  
  
There was a short pause where Angel considered what he said, looking down in thought. Eventually he looked up with a slight smile.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Heh, no problem." Lewin stood up, stretching. "Anyway, I'm out. I still need to write up the report for that mission, so I guess I better get it over with."  
  
"Will I see you later?" Angel asked. It wasn't as though he had family that would come visit him, anyway. He briefly wondered if Shura might pop her head round the door for a little while later on.   
  
"Yeah, I'll swing by here at some point." He laughed a little. "Want me to bring you get well soon flowers?"  
  
Angel rolled his eyes with a quiet chuckle as Lewin left, waving over his shoulder.

"Shut up, Light." He mumbled. It lacked any bite. 

**Author's Note:**

> God this was self indulgent. I just love fucking up my favourites I guess. Sorry it's short. 
> 
> This article was pretty helpful, so take a look if you feel like it:
> 
> https://m.ranker.com/list/what-being-strangled-feels-like/carlycarano


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